Putting their fashion foot forward, the V&A will display the transformative power of extreme footwear with over 200 pairs of historic and contemporary shoes from around the world in their summer 2015 fashion exhibition ‘Shoes: Pleasure and Pain’ . The exhibition will explore the agonising aspect of wearing shoes as well as the euphoria and obsession they can inspire. The exceptionally exclusive footwear range will include shoes worn by or associated with high-profile figures like Marilyn Monroe, Queen Victoria, Sarah Jessica Parker as well as the ballet slippers designed for Moira Shearer in the 1948 film The Red Shoes.
From a sandal decorated in pure gold leaf originating from ancient Egypt to futuristic looking shoes created using 3D printing ; from shoes designed by Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin and Jimmy Choo to historic lotus shoes made for bound feet – the V&A’s shoe collection is unrivalled, spanning the globe and over 2000 years. The exhibition launches on 13 June 2015 and will be on display till 31 January 2016.
Radhika Mehta